I'm very near Dorking.
Schools are all pretty good. Primary, the ones in town tend to be over subscribed, St Pauls is ofsted outstanding and is quite academic, St Martins is good, then there are schools servicing all the outlying villages. The two secondary schools in town get good results.
If you need to commute into London it may be easier to live in the town, but there are lovely villages all around. Heading east Bletchworth is a popular village and has the rugby club which is very popular with the kids. Heading west into AONB gets a bit pricier, villages like Shere and Peaslake even more so. Heading south from Dorking there is a big estate and then an area called Holmwood where you can get more for your money as less desirable.
The train is a bit slow, 50 odd minutes into victoria or waterloo is long.
There's not a lot of 'nightlife' to speak of, one really nice restaurant and a few rather average offerings. There's a lot of people who move from London but still a lot of old money and so it's rather lacking that kind of arty crowd that create a more interesting vibe.
There is loads of outdoor lifestyle ops though. MTB is a must. The trails are famous. Walking, hiking, there's rivers for paddleboarding etc. Great place to raise kids.
Houses are expensive though. But if your selling in London you could get a bigger house and garden for the same money. The market is crazy, houses are getting snapped up so you will need to be quick.